Ukraine’s military publishes video of Ukrainian artillery strike on Russian territory for the first time
For the first time, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have released footage of a Ukrainian artillery strike on Russian territory, according to the German outlet Bild.
The video in question was published on Telegram by Kharkiv Garrison commander Serhii Melnyk, Mediazona noted.
Melnyk captioned the clip as follows:
While conducting reconnaissance, fighters from border detachment No. 4 identified equipment belonging to the occupiers, personnel equipping positions, and trucks. Thanks to professional cooperation with artillery gunners, the target was immediately destroyed.
It’s unclear when the footage was taken.
Twitter user SerDer_Daniels determined that the Russian troops shown in the clip were stationed near the village of Tsapovka in Russia’s Belgorod region, in a wooded area near a farm located about 1.3 kilometers (0.8 miles) from the Ukrainian border.
Julian Röpcke, Bild’s military analyst, called the strike “preventative,” speculating that the Russian army was planning to launch an offensive on Kharkiv from the positions in the video. According to Röpcke, the clip was likely posted with Ukraine’s Western allies in mind. “By launching preventative strikes on Russian territory, Ukraine is showing that it’s protecting itself more and more confidently, and that it’s no longer letting the West dictate how it defends itself,” he said.